Mental Illness Prevention: Mental Health Myths and Facts

This post is a continuation of  my experiences with mental health myths and facts. All the myths I quote in these posts are taken verbatim from Mental Health Myths and Facts on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at mentalhealth.gov.

Myth: Prevention doesn’t work. It is impossible to prevent mental illness.

Like a lot of this myths, this one is mostly false, but there is some truth. One can do everything right in staying mentally healthy, and she or he can still end up with mental health problems. There is a major hereditary and biological component to mental illness, and everyone has their limit to how much stress they can handle. Combine a genetic predisposition to mental illness with stressful life circumstances, and one is bound to have mental health problems.

Though sometimes inevitable, mental health issues, mental illness, and the symptoms of mental illness can be prevented. I'm still learning more ways to prevent symptoms of bipolar along with ways to deal with those symptoms when they arise.

Now that I have an almost two year old, I think more about talking to him about mental illness. Obviously the conversation will change as he grows older, but as time goes by, I want to be honest with him about my mental illness. As I've said, there is a biological component to mental illness, so I want him to have a better set of skills to stay mentally healthy than I had growing up.

All the things I can teach him and the questions I can ask him as he grows older are beyond the scope of this post, but I do want to share some commons things that anyone can do to to help prevent mental health issues in themselves and in loved ones. Practice the following skills, and share these skills with your children or children you are responsible for:

• Stay in a good sleep cycle. 
• This means going to bed and waking up at approximately the same time every day. 
• Do something relaxing before bed. 
• Get off screens and/or utilize programs like f.lux and night shift (on Apple products) within an hour or two before bed. 
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for sleep, a set of skills I learned in The Insomnia Workbook after it was recommended to me by a doctor, helps me keep good sleep hygiene and helped me cope with poor sleep.

• Be mindful.
• Instead of always listening to something/multitasking, take time to focus on exactly what you're doing. 
• When you're feeling stressed, focus on external stimuli through your five senses to bring yourself into the moment. Thinking about the past can lead to anger, resentment, and depression, and thinking about the future can lead to anxiety.

• Take time to relax. 
• Meditate, take a walk (or a run) out in nature. 
• Forget about your daily tasks for a while and try to bring your mind somewhere else. You can even take mini-relax breaks. I've found some simple breathing exercises such as breathing in for a count of four, holding for seven, and breathing out for eight can help bring down my anxiety level. 
• There tons of resources out there to help with meditation/relaxation -- from videos on YouTube to apps like Headspace, find something that works for you.

• Exercise. Exercising is a great way to improve brain chemistry, physical health, and mood. Find things to do that you enjoy, and try to stick with a workout routine.

• If you're struggling or have struggled in the past, especially if you have a mental illness, keep your appointments for medication management, therapy, and/or any support groups. The best time to work on your mental health is when you're feeling well -- not when you're in crisis mode.

According to mentalhealth.gov, helping to prevent mental illness, especially in children, can lead to:

• Higher overall productivity
• Better educational outcomes
• Lower crime rates
• Stronger economies
• Lower health care costs
• Improved quality of life
• Increased lifespan
• Improved family life

What skills do you have to keep yourself mentally healthy and to prevent mental health difficulties?

I can't do anything to help: Mental Health Myths

This post is a continuation of  my experiences with mental health myths and facts. All the myths I quote in these posts are taken verbatim from Mental Health Myths and Facts on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at mentalhealth.gov.

Myth: I can't do anything for a person with a mental health problem.

I don't know how many people actually believe this, but I'm guessing not many. I think the real issue is not that people believe they can't help someone who's struggling with mental health, but that they're not sure what to say or do for that person.

It's not an unusual to feel helpless when someone is dealing with mental health issues or even just common emotional difficulties. The loss of a job, a breakup, or the passing of a friend or family member are all things we see friends and family go through, and often we feel powerless to offer any help or comfort.

What I've found helpful is simply someone being there with me -- just to hang out. There's no need to try and say something profound. My experience with both the giving and receiving end of emotional support is that one of the best things you can say is, "What can I do to help?" You can leave it at that, or you can offer specific things. Would they like a meal dropped off? Some help with taking care of their children or some housework? Would they simply like to spend some time with you?

There's not one-size-fits-all approach to help someone struggling with mental illness, but I've never heard someone say they were upset by a general offer of support. I would encourage caution when asking the person specific questions about their situation. Some people would prefer not to talk about what they're going through, and especially consider the timing. 

No one wants to start crying at work or in school. It's fine to ask someone if they'd like to talk, but I'd avoid specific questions unless that person opens up to you. I know that sometimes when I've been dealing with symptoms of bipolar -- especially when they're more acute -- I don't want to about it. I'd rather just keep the conversation light.

That said, if someone is really struggling, you shouldn't worry about hurting her or his feelings. The Mental Health Myths and Facts article gives some advice for offering that person support:

• Reaching out and letting them know you are available to help
• Helping them access mental health services
• Learning and sharing the facts about mental health, especially if you hear something that isn't true
• Treating them with respect, just as you would anyone else
• Refusing to define them by their diagnosis or using labels such as "crazy"

Besides these things, I'd also remind you that if you think someone is in serious danger of hurting her or himself, you need to do whatever you can to get them help immediately. If you're on the phone with someone who's threatening to hurt herself, call 911 immediately and give them the person's location. If you're with the person, get them to a hospital in whatever way you can.

Therapy and Self-Help: Mental Health Myths and Facts

This post is a continuation of  my experiences with mental health myths and facts. All the myths I quote in these posts are taken verbatim from Mental Health Myths and Facts on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at mentalhealth.gov.

Therapy and self-help are a waste of time. Why bother when you can just take a pill?

I have some experience with this myth. When I was first diagnosed with bipolar around the age of nineteen, I’d just had a full manic episode — scary stuff. Still, after I came out of the episode and went back to college, I didn’t think much about how my behavior and ways of thinking that could exacerbate or lead to manic or depressive episodes. I figured my medication would be enough.

As I’ve aged, I’ve found it’s very important to have a toolbox of skills of which to draw from when coping with and preventing symptoms of mental illness. After my last major depressive episode, which led to a hospitalization, I picked up a self-help book on sleep called, “The Insomnia Workbook.” Using the cognitive behavioral therapy skills in it has definitely helped me manage my sleep, keeping me more mentally healthy.

After a previous depressive episode that also led to a hospitalization, I went to a skills group on DBT, or, “dialectical behavoir therapy.” The skills I’ve learned in that class have helped maintain my mental health and is especially helpful in managing anxiety, depression, and the racing thoughts

While medications are imperative for me to stay mentally balanced, using the skills I learn in therapy makes a huge difference. Therapy is not just me sitting and talking about my problems. Instead, I get homework on managing my thinking and my behaviors.

I could write for hours on the skills I’ve learned, how they help, ones that haven’t helped, and how I struggle when I stop practicing those skills, but that is beyond the scope of this post. Running and exercise have also been a huge self-help tool in staying physically and mentally fit.

There are two angles to look at about therapy, self-help, and medication — the perspective of the person struggling with mental illness and the friends and family members of that person.

First, for those struggling with a diagnosis of mental illness, whether newly diagnosed or not, be patient. Be gentle with yourself and work slowly at building skills to cope with mental illness. You.may need medication, and you may not. What’s important is finding a care team that you feel is working in your best interest and wants to help you reach your goals. This care team can include doctors, therapists, support groups, and close friends and family members.

It can take time to find that team, especially given the cost and access barriers in the mental health field, but again, be patient.

For those who need psychotropic medications, I would recommend finding a clinician who will take time to coordinate with your therapist, loved ones, and your family practitioner to do the best she or he can to get you on the right medication and the right dose. I’d also recommend seeing a nurse practitioner rather than a psychiatrist. There are definitely good psychiatrists, but I have found the nurse practitioners are more responsive and willing to be in partnerships with the patients rather than, “here’s your prescription and good luck.”

Second, for friends and family of a person diagnosed with mental illness, be patient. Don’t expect that your loved one should just take her or his pills and be fine. For one thing, psychotropic medications can take two weeks or more to be effective, so you won’t see a change for a while. Also, it often takes several tries to find the right medication for that individual. Remember that your loved one is going through a difficult time with their mental health. Instead of telling them what they should be doing, ask them what you can do to help.

In my previous blog post, I linked an article from MentalHealth.gov called, “For Friends and Family.” If you haven’t yet, I’d encourage you to read the whole thing. The article gives great advice on talking with someone you’re concerned about because of their mental health:

Medications for mental illness can quite literally be lifesavers. I shudder to think where I’d be had there not been medications for bipolar. However, while medications can be a godsend, they are not tiny white magic bullets. Therapy, self-help, and the support of a care team are vital in coping with and recovering from mental illness.

What types of self-help, therapy, and daily routines do you use to keep mentally fit?

Hope for Mental Illness: Mental Health Myths and Facts

This post is a continuation of  my experiences with mental health myths and facts. All the myths I quote in these posts are taken verbatim from Mental Health Myths and Facts on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at mentalhealth.gov.

Myth: There is no hope for people with mental health problems. Once a friend or family member develops mental health problems, he or she will never recover.

This is a myth I often succumb to, and for me this myth is somewhat true. For the foreseeable future, and likely for the rest of my life, I will have bipolar. When times are good, sometimes I think that maybe things will stay like this. Maybe I’ll stay balanced. Maybe I won’t fall into a depressive state or have another manic episode.

Unfortunately, I likely will continue to experience the symptoms of bipolar to varying degrees. I’ll likely have more manic episodes. I’ll likely have more manic episodes and mixed states. Medications I take can or have stopped working. There’s a better than average chance I’ll end up in the hospital again.

These things may all sound depressing, but despite the likelyhood of relapse, that doesn’t mean there won’t be times that are good. There will be. There will be long stretches of recovery. Even during manic and depressive episodes, good can still come.

Depressive episodes can teach me to be more empathetic. The techniques I use to help manage and recover from them often help me see the blessings in my life. The kindness shown to me, my material blessings, friends, family, and employment — all things I can use to share with others.

It’s harder to see the good in manic episodes. I often do things that are embarrassing or that make my life more difficult. I overshare about my personal life, talk too much, and often interrupt others when they are talking. I write emails and post on social media things I normally wouldn’t, and at times I engage in communication that I don’t remember later.

I wish I could say with certainty that I will fully recover from bipolar, but I know that it’s likelier I won’t. Still, sometimes there is some good that comes from manic episodes. If I can manage to stay focused on one thing at a time, I can often accomplish more than I normally would — especially cleaning and writing.

Learning strategies that have helped me to not over communicate and stay focused on one thing at a time when manic is somewhat a recovery in itself. Having strategies to mitigate and reduce the length of a bipolar episode make my ability to function “normally” in my personal and professional life have made me feel better about my bipolar.

While some mental illnesses can be chronic, many with mental health problems will recover completely or go through long stretches of functioning “normally.” Family and friends can help loved ones cope with and recover from mental illness in a wide variety of ways.

According to MentalHealth.gov, support from friends and family is paramount in helping someone struggling with mental health problems. I encourage you to read the whole article, “For Friends and Family Members,” but I’ll share some highlights below, starting with the benefits of learning about mental health and mental illness (bullet points taken from MentalHealth.gov):

• Improved recognition of early signs of mental health problems
• Earlier treatment
• Greater understanding and compassion

There are also many ways you can help support a friend or family member struggling with mental illness. Here are some ideas from MentalHealth.gov:

• Finding out if the person is getting the care that he or she needs and wants—if not, connect him or her to help
• Expressing your concern and support
• Reminding your friend or family member that help is available and that mental health problems can be treated
• Asking questions, listening to ideas, and being responsive when the topic of mental health problems come up
• Reassuring your friend or family member that you care about him or her
• Offering to help your friend or family member with everyday tasks
• Including your friend or family member in your plans—continue to invite him or her without being overbearing, even if your friend or family member resists your invitations
• Educating other people so they understand the facts about mental health problems and do not discriminate
• Treating people with mental health problems with respect, compassion, and empathy

There is all kinds of other good information on the “For Friends and Family Members" article on MentalHealth.gov, and again, I really encourage you to read the entire article. Obviously not all the advice is appropriate for everyone and your approach to supporting friends and family should be tailored to their needs.

I've been incredibly blessed with supportive friends and family during the times I've struggled with bipolar. Calls and cards from friends, visits in the hospital, and friends and family sharing their struggles with mental health have all helped me get through some tough times.

How about you? How have you or how do you want to support a friend or family member struggling with mental health issues? Or, how do you want to be supported when you're struggling with mental health problems?

Character Flaws and Mental Health: Myths and Facts

This post is a continuation of my experiences with mental health myths and facts. All the myths I quote in these posts are taken verbatim from Mental Health Myths and Facts on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at mentalhealth.gov.

Myth: Personality weakness or character flaws cause mental health problems. People with mental health problems can snap out of it if they try hard enough.

Another common myth of mental illness is that if people just try harder they can overcome their mental illness. I see this one all the time. In fact, sometimes I believe this one myself. Sure, there are things in my control that can help me avoid or mitigate symptoms of bipolar, but I often blame myself for things I can't control. I think: if I just try harder, I won't feel depressed, or have a manic episode. I'm certainly not perfect, but sometimes it seems I'm doing everything right and I still cycle into a manic or depressive episode.


People saying: just take your pills, just go to therapy, just cheer up -- Definitely doesn't help. I take my pills. I go to therapy. I try to set up boundaries to keep when I cycle into a manic state. If there were a magic formula to make my symptoms of bipolar disappear, I'd've done my best to it and use it.


While some may not necessarily believe this myth, their actions make it seem that way. Mental illness is not caused by some defect of character or lack of effort. There's a fine line between supporting a friend or family member, and making her and him feel she or he is not trying hard enough.


Attitudes supporting this myth occur intentionally and accidentally. Clearly, telling someone to, "just get over it," would be crossing the line. Telling someone, "it's all in your head," is also crossing that line. While those things are obvious, there are more subtle ways you may make people think you believe this myth.


Telling a story about how you felt sad or anxious once but then did something about it and are now recovered probably won't be helpful -- especially if you don't have a mental illness yourself. Giving advice and how that person should deal with her or his mental illness may also make them feel like you think they are not trying hard enough.


The tough thing about this myth is that sometimes people succumb to it with the best intentions. They want to help. They want to see their friends or family members recover, so they offer advice they think will help them recover.


I'm not saying all advice is bad and that all those who offer advice believe that people with mental illness are victims of their own making. Some advice can be good and helpful, but I'd encourage those who feel the need to give advice to wait until they are asked for advice.


There are, however, some instances where giving advice is necessary whether the person is asking or not. You are not falling prey to the myth when you give advice to someone who is clearly in distress or, especially, if you feel they are in danger of hurting themselves or someone else.


I read a story about a young woman who was frustrated that her friends would give her advice about dealing with her anxiety. She wrote how she only wanted to cope with and talk about her anxiety with her therapist. A lot of what she said rang true, but I also got the feeling that she was being stubborn and possibly missing out on good advice.


She said that her friends would tell her to take deep breaths when she was losing control of her emotions and nearing a state of panic. She would not take deep breaths because she knew it wouldn't work. While she might not realize it, her friends were giving her good advice. If she was starting to hyperventilate from anxiety, she should be taking slow, deep breaths. It may not make her feel better right away, but there's a good chance it would keep her symptoms from getting worse.


But here's the rub: she'd probably received too much unsolicited advice, so when she heard good advice, she tuned it out. This is not uncommon for those who feel others are judging them for their mental illness. Mental health has both environmental and biological factors, so many people diagnosed with a mental illness will be dealing with the symptoms of that illness for their entire lives. No amount of advice, medications, or therapy is going to make those symptoms go away forever.


So, be careful with giving advice. Don't make people feel like you're judging them and that they are somehow to blame for their mental illness. And those experiencing mental health issues: be gracious. Ask for advice on occasion, and try not to get offended by unsolicited advice. Usually, someone just wants to help.


If you do feel like giving some advice for maintaining or improving mental health, what is it? I'm soliciting your opinion: What is something you do to stay mentally healthy?

Job Stress: Mental Health Myths and Facts

This post is a continuation of  my experiences with mental health myths and facts. All the myths I quote in these posts are taken verbatim from Mental Health Myths and Facts on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at mentalhealth.gov.

This one is tough for me to write about, so I'll going share some practical tips for managing workplace stress first, and my own thoughts and experiences at the end.

Myth: People with mental health needs, even those who are managing their mental illness, cannot tolerate the stress of holding down a job.

You've likely said or heard someone say, "I'm taking a mental health day." Any job, from doctor to fry cook, can help or hurt our mental health. Difficult coworkers, supervisors, or expectations we put on ourselves can lead to too much stress and diminished mental health. For those with mental illness, these things can be even more difficult. Part of ending the stigma surrounding mental illness should make a "mental health day" just as valid as a sick day for a cold, headache, or stomach bug.

While mental illness can interfere with employment, people with mental illness are no worse at their jobs than other workers. Studies from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) show that workers with mental illness are as productive as other workers. In fact, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal, those prone to anxiety can actually have an advantage in workplace performance.

There are many things you can do for yourself, and many things you can do for others, to help manage workplace stress. Keeping stress at a manageable level improves the environment not just for people with mental illness, but for all employees. When there's too much stress, the quality of work suffers. When there's not enough stress, employees can become lethargic and unmotivated.

Supervisors should help employees manage workplace stress, and employees should advocate for themselves when they are feeling overwhelmed -- especially when they are unable to work or their performance is suffering due to symptoms of mental illness.

Tips for Managing Workplace Stress:

• For employees:
• Take deep breaths
• Talk to your supervisor when you're feeling overwhelmed
• Focus on one thing at a time
• Resolve conflicts
• If possible, avoid people who are usually negative or stress you out

• For employers, supervisors, and coworkers
• Be approachable and open when an employee says she or he is overwhelmed
• Try to look for signs that an employee is struggling
• Show appreciation for employees' work, but try to tailor to individual needs
• If an employ needs accommodations due to a mental illness, don't be judgmental -- treat them like you would treat someone who needed time off or accommodations is physically sick or injured

Websites for more Detailed Strategies:

• Guide to Anxiety in the Workplace for HR
• This article gives workplace mental health statistics and practical advice for both supervisors and employees.
• Report: Anxiety Can Boost Work Performance
• This article summarizes the findings of the a Wall Street Journal Article mentioned above
• American Psychological Association: Coping with stress at work
• Practical strategies for dealing with work stress.

If you deal with anxiety at work, don't overwhelm yourself with all the strategies out there -- that can make you more anxious! Instead, pick one to three strategies and try them for a week or two. If they're helping, keep using them. If they're not helping or not helping enough, consider adding a strategy and/or stopping one you started with.

I suggest starting with deep breathing. It takes a lifetime to master, but has be shown to reduce stress for almost anyone.

If work stress is really affecting your mental health, consider the following:

• Find a therapist who can help you with coping strategies
• Talk to a coworker who will encourage you and not drag you into further negativity
• If you don't think your work environment will improve, start looking for a new job
• If you have a diagnosed mental illness and you and your doctor feel you cannot continue your job, consider taking disability.  Everyone who has paid social security taxes is eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and some employers give disability insurance to supplement SSDI.

My experience with workplace mental health issues:

Mental illness was the primary or secondary factor in my resignation from two teaching positions. In both of those positions, I started feeling very stressed, and as a result my work and my personal life started to suffer.

The positions felt like they were spiraling out of control because I was feeling both overwhelmed while at the same time suffering from symptoms of bipolar disorder -- "cycling" as we call it in bipolar parlance. As things got more difficult, my mental health continued to deteriorate; increased anxiety, difficulty sleeping, and lack of focus all led to a decrease in performance. In the first instance, several factors led to my resignations.

I knew work was getting unmanageable, but I felt that if I changed jobs I would be letting the students down. I ended up resigning both positions and going to a brief treatment program for bipolar and anxiety (my two mental illness diagnoses are generalized anxiety disorder and bipolar I) after the first resignation, and having a full-blown manic episode right before the second resignation.

I felt awful for leaving both those positions -- especially because I left them abruptly and didn't give them much warning. I wish I could have, but even in retrospect I know I would have left both schools in limbo even longer as I waited to recover from the episodes. In both cases, it took month or more to recover from the episodes, and while I would have liked to give more notice to both the schools, even after I'd recovered I couldn't see myself being able to go back to those positions.

So back to the myth: Although holding down a job can be difficult for those with mental illness, it's not impossible. I'm now in my second year of substitute teaching, and things have been going well. I'm not symptom free every day, and some days symptoms interfere with my performance. I do, however have a number of teachers who contact me when they need a sub, and I haven't missed any work due to mental illness since the school year started.

Thanks for reading. If you have a coping strategy you use to manage your mental health at work, I'd love to hear about it. Comment below or on Facebook.

Violence and Mental Illness: Mental Health Myths and Facts

I'm continuing on writing about my experiences with myths and facts from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. You can read all of the myths and facts on the article, Mental Health Myths and Facts, from mentalhealth.gov. All the myths I quote in these posts are taken verbatim from that article.

Myth: People with mental illness are often violent and unpredictable
This myth is still prevalent. I see it spread often when there is an act of mass violence, and there's also some huge double standards involved. When there is an act of so-called Islamic terrorism, the mass shooting is by and large blamed on radical Islam, and mental illness is barely discussed. However, when the perpetrator of a mass killing is white, all of a sudden we want to blame mental illness, not the fact that the shooter was able to get access to an extremely deadly weapon. Could it be that some people are just plain violent and not mentally ill?

As the U.S Department of Health and Human Services points out, people with mental illnesses are no more likely than the general population to commit violent acts. In fact, they are actually more likely to be victims of violent crimes.

The idea that people with mental illness are prone to unpredictable and/or violent behavior is a major reason why people are afraid to share that they have a mental illness. No one wants to feel like people around them are uncomfortable or on edge because they think their going to do something strange or scary.

Probably the biggest reason I'm not more open about having a mental illness is that I don't want to be treated differently. If people think I might become unpredictable or violent, they're definitely going to treat me differently.

While mental illness can be uncomfortable and even scary at times, people with mental illnesses should still be treated like anyone else. It's important to know that by and large the behavior of people with mental illness is the same as that of those without mental illness. 

Children's Mental Health: Mental Health Myths and Facts

This post is a continuation of  my experiences with mental health myths and facts, All the myths I quote in these posts are taken verbatim from Mental Health Myths and Facts on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at mentalhealth.gov.

Myth: Children don't experience mental health problems 
This myth is becoming less prevalent. Schools especially have created more awareness about signs of mental illness in children and about how to get those children resources. Probably the biggest mental illness issue we hear about in children is ADHD. When I was in elementary school, ADHD wasn't commonly diagnosed, but now it isn't uncommon to have several students in a class with this diagnosis. 


Now, many experts in the field believe that ADHD has been overdiagnosed or mistreated. Numerous scholarly journal articles and research studies suggest that pharmaceutical companies have had undue influence on ADHD diagnosis and treatment. This isn't a post about the overdiagnosis of ADHD, but I do want to suggest that often behavioral issues in children are a mental health issue and not a mental illness.

Just like adults, students experience anxiety, depression, and other emotional issues. And, just like adults, these problems could be mental health issues, or mental illness. If a child is experiencing persistent difficulty with emotions, consulting a physician or therapist is a good idea.

I remember experiencing frequent anxiety in childhood. Often I'd worry excessively, especially when I was alone. In middle school and high school I would frequently experience sleep problems because worry made it nearly impossible to shut off my brain and go to sleep at night.

While I don't think a diagnosis of a mental illness would have been appropriate for me as a child, I probably would have benefited from some kind of therapy. Going to therapy was definitely not as common or accepted when I was young. I think it's getting better today.

Children do experience mental health issues, and as adults in a children's lives, we are in a position to help those children when we see something wrong. Even asking a child if she or he would like to talk or saying something like, "it seems like you've been sad a lot lately," can go a long way. Be aware of when a child in your life may be experiencing a mental health issue, and be ready to offer some help.

Destigmatizing Mental Illness: Mental Health Facts and Myths

I never could have predicted what an amazing response I received when I wrote about hospital stays for mental health reasons. Friends, family, and strangers offered words of support, encouragement, and gratitude. It's amazing to hear that my experiences with mental illness and hospitalizations has connected with others.

Reading all those kind words made me feel that we as a society are on the right track when it comes to how we talk about and deal with mental illness. Although there is still a great deal of stigma surrounding mental health, things have definitely improved since my first hospitalization in 1998.

While there is still a long way to go, there are factors that have lead to the destigmatization of mental illness. Schools have taken steps to inform teachers and students about mental health issues. In Minnesota, teachers need to take a class every five years on recognizing early signs of mental illness in students. The internet has also broadened social circles, making it much more likely for individuals to know or read about someone with a mental illness. Additionally, the Web provides an easy opportunity to learn about mental health.

While awareness has improved, there's still a lot of work to do. Even though people may know someone with a mental illness, misconceptions and assumptions about mental illness persist. In my posts about hospitalizations, I linked to Mental Health Myths and Facts from the U.S. Department of Health and Human services. I highly recommend checking it out, especially if you feel like you don't know much about mental illness, or if you feel like you don't know what to say or do around someone who has a mental illness.

If you, your families, or your friends believe any of these myths, that's OK. It's not until we recognize our beliefs, conscious or unconscious, that we can change them. The article above does a great job at explaining and debunking myths. I've had experience with each of these myths, so I wanted to share my thoughts.

After that long introduction, here's the first myth and my experiences around it (All these myths are quoted directly from www.mentalhealth.gov):

Myth: Mental Health Problems Don't Affect Me

This myth is really two myths rolled into one. First, mental health problems are different than mental illness. We all experience mental health issues. I can remember the first time feeling really guilty as a kid. I'd lied to my parents and started feeling really guilty. The guilt gave me a sick feeling in my stomach as I lay in bed, unable to fall asleep. I finally went to my parents' room and told them what I'd done. They forgave me, and I asked, "Did you ever lie to your parents?" My dad told me about how he'd broken a rake when he was young and lied to his parents about it, and I instantly felt better.

How is that a mental health issue? Guilt can be both a contributing factor and a symptom of depression. While guilt is a healthy emotion that often leads to more ethical or reconcilitory behavior, unresolved, unnecessary, or excess guilt can be a factor in depression.

I've often felt guilty about things out of my control. I can't help having a mental illness. I can't help that I'll be hospitalized at times. I can't help that I have to take medication to keep me stable. These are not things to feel guilty about, and when I do it only puts me in more of a downward spiral.

And guilt is just one of many emotions that can negatively affect mental health. Anxiety, mild depression, loneliness, and anger are things we all experience. When these emotions linger in an unhealthy way, problems with mental health can arise. An extreme, persistent excess of any of these emotions may indicate a mental illness or a need for therapy.

We all deal with mental health problems. It's healthy to recognize this, and to be supportive and encouraging of others who deal with mental health issues or mental illness.

If you're feeling like negative emotions are getting the best of you, tell someone. There's no shame is asking for help. And if you know someone who seems to be suffering, encourage them to find help. Untreated mental illness can lead to a downward spiral,